Rattler
join:2001-04-13
Havertown, PA
 ·Verizon Online DSL
 ·Verizon FIOS
edit:
May 13th, @03:26PM
| reply to n000b
Re: [northeast] Are you sure your FIOS internet is secure?
You would hope, by now, that most everyone who uses wireless sets up WPA (personal, at least) encryption with a strong key phrase - but they don't.
When I saw that the A/T came with WEP enabled, using its MAC address as the key, I was rather surprised. That's about as secure as posting your SSID and the key on a billboard in front of your house. Having that configuration is just about as bad as no encryption at all - maybe worse since the uninitiated THINK they're protected.
I think V* sets it up with WEP since there may be some older wireless cards/drivers that don't support WPA out of the box (my old Linksys WMP-54G happens to be one of them - needs Odyssey or another proggy to use WPA). But again, WEP isn't worth the effort if you want to protect against someone who knows what they're doing.
There are five wireless networks, in my area (not including mine), that I can see. Only two of them are encrypted and one of them uses WEP. The other three are running wide open. I have successfully, and only briefly, tapped into the open networks (only to see how vulnerable they really were) without any effort at all. Four of the five are running on CH-6 and two are using the out-of-the-box SSID (non-V* routers).
So, to point the finger at V* for setting up a poor wireless encryption protocol may be a little rough. To fault them for choosing a router that has demonstrated poor performance, under certain circumstances (as opposed to providing a decent router and a NIM), may very well be to the point.
--
Never raise your hands to your kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. -- Red Buttons |
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Gary A
join:2008-03-02
Odessa, FL
·Verizon FIOS
edit:
May 13th, @04:13PM
| Shortly after the VZ Installer finished last September, I changed:
Router User Name & Password
Encryption to WPA-PSK with a (let's call it a very, very large) key (mixed alpha, case & numerics)
Disabled SSID broadcast
Enabled MAC Authentication
Turned off 802.11b mode (not for security, but what the heck)
Then I backed up the system configuration file to my HDD. About all you can do with an AT router for security. |
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seaquake
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-23
Millersville, MD
clubs:  
·Verizon FIOS
edit:
May 13th, @04:51PM
| said by Gary A  :Disabled SSID broadcast I just took a wireless networking class and they are now saying this opens up another security issue. I think for a home user it's probably still not a problem to hide the SSID. But for businesses who are known to use wireless, hiding the SSID is just another obstacle in a determined hacker's way....they will figure out the hidden SSID rather quickly.
This is mentioned in the wireless FAQ here: »Wireless Networking Forum FAQ »What happens when I disable SSID Broadcast? Am I more secure?
The key is that you use WPA/2 and MAC filtering. Those go a LONG way in securing your network.
EDIT: I should also mention that by disabling "B" mode that you are potentially increasing your network efficiency. This assumes that you have all "A" or "G" traffic on your network and there are no "B" APs around. The figures we heard in class were 25 to 40% degradation of network performance with the presence of "B" devices on the network or APs in the same area as your network AP. |
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